Empty Shells
by catethewritergirl
Summary: When you think your heart and soul are gone, does your body become merely an empty shell? A love story of a sad kind, set ten years in the future. Alexis/OC; some Caskett. WARNING: major character death
1. Chapter 1

Title: Empty Shells

A/N: Warning: major character death. This story is set ten years in the future. I had to do a bit of timeline twisting to get it to work this way so if you could do me a favor and just accept the story as is, I would appreciate it. This is a different kind of fanfic from what I usually write so please give it a shot and then leave me a review.

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The sun was just beginning to light the New York skyline when the black medical examiner van pulled up on the corner of 4th and Broadway. The driver pulled her red hair into a slick ponytail and tugged on her blue latex gloves as she walked toward the crime scene her boots splashing in small puddles from last night's rain.

"Dr. Castle, this way please." A uniformed officer lifted the crime scene tape as Alexis ducked under and approached the body.

"Thank you," She said looking at the officer. She then turned her attention toward the body and the two homicide detectives standing over it. "Detectives." She received a smile from one and nothing more than a curt nod from the other. Alexis had worked with the two of them before, Danny Chase and Tommy Kent. Danny was a pompous ass as far as Alexis was concerned; in the entire time she had known him he had spoken at most three words to her. Danny believed that it was Tommy's job as the junior partner to deal with the medical examiner.

Tommy was the complete opposite of his partner, he was lighthearted and fun. He believed in the good in the world despite the horrors he worked with everyday. Tommy had transferred into homicide the same week Alexis had gotten the job as medical examiner. The two of them had bonded over being the newbies at the twelfth. Their bright personalities added light to the dark precinct, they had become best friends. Now for Alexis that sometimes made things harder, because Tommy had known her _before_.

"What've we got here Doc?" Tommy strode over and knelt beside the body.

Alexis cracked a half smile at his nickname for her, "Female. Mid 20's. Looks like a GSW to the chest maybe a .38 caliber. No wallet or identification I presume?"

"None so far Doc. We still have uniforms looking." Tommy said as he stood up. "Hey Doc, you okay? Want to grab a drink after work?"

Alexis shook her head, "I would Tommy, but I'm supposed to go have dinner with Alex and Kate."

"I understand. How are they doing? I haven't seen my little dude in a while." Alexis felt a surge of guilt at that, Tommy had been a huge help with Alex. He had helped Alexis when the balance between caring for him and Kate and still working had become difficult.

"I'll about bringing him by the precinct sometime." Even as she said it Alexis knew it was a lie, she would never allow Alex anywhere near the world she worked in.

"No you won't Doc." Tommy said wistfully, "But bring him by my place sometime. I miss him, and you, Doc, I miss you too."

"What's there to miss Tommy? I'm right here."

"No Doc," Tommy shook his head, "There is someone here but it sure ain't you."

Alexis sighed, she knew what Tommy meant, but he was pining for someone who wasn't ever going to come back. The old Alexis was gone. "I don't know what you are talking about, but I've got to get this body back to the morgue. I'll call when I have prelim reports."

Alexis slid into the front seat of the van as silent tears fell down her cheeks. She couldn't help but remember the reason the old Alexis no longer existed.

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**5 YEARS EARLIER**

"_Are you sure we were right to leave him with your mother?" Kate asked worried, her thoughts kept drifting to the sleeping baby they had left at home. She had promised herself that she wouldn't be so anxious, but it was her first case since she had been back from maternity leave and they had to leave the house before the babysitter was available. The scheduling confusion had resulted in Alex being left with Martha._

"_He'll be fine, Kate," Castle reassured her, "My mother raised me didn't she?"_

"_And how is that supposed to make me feel better?" Kate grumbled as she closed the door to the Crown Vic. They had driven all the way out to Washington Heights to interview a suspect; the neighborhood always put Kate in a foul mood._

_Rick feigned hurt, trying to bring a smile to Kate face. The corners of her mouth were tugging upward when Rick spotted a flash of sunlight glaring off metal. The all too familiar sight had him shoving Kate to the ground. "What the hell R-" she began as she hurt the gunshot._

_She picked her service weapon up off the ground and fired two shots in the direction of the noise. Time seemed to slow down as she rotated her body to where he lay. A pool of blood was forming on his blue dress shirt. Kate placed pressure on the wound as she fought to keep tears at bay._

"_This is one Lincoln forty," Kate was shouting into her radio, "I have shots fired. Officer down." As soon as she heard confirmation that an ambulance had been sent for she turned back to Rick. Her hazel eyes looked with his ocean blue ones, they lacked fear._

"_Rick stay with me, hang on please!" She struggled to keep her voice even._

"_It doesn't hurt Kate, not really," he said sighing as he tilted his head back. "I love you Kate, so much."_

"_Rick I know! I know," she pleaded with him, "Stay with me."_

"_Alexis too, and Alex, Kate," Rick sighed, "Our beautiful baby boy. Love them so much."_

_The tears were streaming freely down her face now, and Rick made the effort to speak again, "Love you, Kate." _

_His head rolled to the side and all Kate could do was whisper, "I love you too," as she knelt beside him and gripped his hand._

_By the time the ambulance arrived, the EMT's found a tearful Kate Beckett-Castle holding on to the hand of a corpse._

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I know it's short but let me know what you thought. Is it worth continuing? ~Cate


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Wow I was so thrilled with the response to the first chapter! So I guess it was good enough to continue huh? Well here's chapter 2.

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Alexis pounded on the door to the loft as she tried to control the excited five year old beside her. When Kate didn't answer after a few minutes, Alexis dug into her purse for her key. Turning the key in the lock she noticed that the loft was almost completely dark, "Kate?" she called as she flicked on the living room light switch. Alexis scanned the room only to find her stepmother absent.

Alex however seemed to know where his mother was hiding and immediately began a full out sprint toward her father's old office. "Alexander James Castle, you know you aren't supposed to go in there!" Alexis shouted after him, since the shooting she had only entered the office when absolutely necessary, deeming it not worth the pain. But as Alex ran in at high speed she had no choice but to follow.

Kate was sprawled out on the old couch _Heat Rises_ laying her chest and tear tracks staining her cheeks, Alexis grabbed the book before Alex could crush it as he jumped on his mother. "Mommy, mommy!" he shouted excitedly, "Lesiss pick me up from school!"

Kate rubbed her eyes and looked up at Alexis apologetically, "Oh Lex, I was supposed to…. I'm sorry."

Alexis shook her head at Kate's apology, "C'mon little man, let me turn on Nick Jr. for you to watch so I can talk to Mommy."

"Okay Lesiss," Alex grumbles his mood clearly dampened by being sent away, "I watch _Wonder Pets_?"

"Yeah sure buddy, _Wonder Pets_ it is," Alexis said as she turned on the TV, before walking back into the office to talk to Kate.

Kate stood leaning against the desk thumbing through _Heat Rises_ absentmindedly. "Why do you do that to yourself?" Alexis asked. When Kate gave her a confused look Alexis continued, "Read his words, read those words, relive him being shot through the literary version of it, and then cry yourself to sleep and forget to pick up your son from kindergarten."

Kate flicked away a tear from the edge of her eye, "How can I not Alexis? They were the words that he wrote to me, and now they are all I have left."

Alexis shook her head violently, "No, Kate. You have me and you have Alex. We are part of him."

The former detective's eyes drifted over to where her son sat staring at the TV, "He is just like him," Kate whispered gazing at Alex's blue eyes and soft brown hair, "It's like I have no influence on him. He even has Rick's spirit and heart."

Alexis' anger at the detective dissipated, "Dad loved you so much Kate, and so does Alex. Live for him. Be a mother to your son, I can't get calls at work every other day because you forgot to pick up Alex."

"I know," Kate nodded in a child-like manner, "And I'm really sorry Alexis. Are you going to stay for dinner?" Kate asked as if she had suddenly remembered that today was Thursday.

Alexis shook her head, "No. I ordered in for you though, I figured after today you and Alex could use some time. Maybe I'll go grab a drink with Tommy."

Kate's eyes brightened at the mention of Tommy's name, "Are you guys together now?"

"No," Alexis blushed, "Just friends Kate. My life is too complicated for anyone."

"Never too complicated for someone who loves you," Kate smiled, "And that boy has been in love with you for years. Why don't you bring him to dinner tomorrow night? Alex has been missing him."

Alexis sighed but nodded her agreement. She waved goodbye to Kate and Alex and began dialing her phone as she closed the door to the apartment.

Tommy picked up on the second ring, "Kent."

"Hey Tommy."

"Oh hey Doc," Tommy's tone brightened considerably, "What can I do for you?"

"Would you still be interested in getting that drink after work?" As she asked the question, Alexis had a momentary panic; she hadn't even considered that something might have come up at work leaving Tommy unable to go.

"Course Doc, just let me clear up some of this paperwork and I'll see you at the Old Haunt, 7:30?"

It seemed that everywhere she went there were memories of her father, after he was shot Tommy had taken over management of the bar given that Kate was in no condition to run it and Alexis couldn't bear to sell it. "Sounds great."

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At 7:30 Alexis was sitting at the bar in the Old Haunt nursing a beer as Tommy walked in the door. "Hey Doc," he greeted her, "You okay?"

Alexis was slightly taken aback that he noticed her off mood within seconds of arriving, "Uh yeah, why do you ask?"

"Doc," Tommy shook his head, "For a really smart girl you can be pretty dense sometimes. You can't lie to me remember? I'm the human lie detector and you can bet that if my superpowers work on random criminals then they are certain to work on my best friend."

She cracked a half smile at his teasing, "Are you comparing me to criminals now Tommy?"

He laughed, "No but I might if you keep trying to change the subject. What's eating you Doc?"

"Kate forgot to pick up Alex from school again."

"I thought that was getting better," Tommy said.

"It was," Alexis sighed, "And now I just don't know. Alex needs someone. He doesn't have a dad anymore. Neither do I."

Tommy reached over and took her hand, "No you don't, and I would do anything, absolutely anything, to change that for you. But I can't. You aren't alone though Alexis," her head snaps up at the use of her real name, "Neither is Alex. You have each other, you have Kate, and you've got me." When she looked up at him he continued, "You do know that I'm always here for you don't you Lex?"

She looked up at him and she wasn't seeing Tom Kent the police officer who she worked cases with. She was seeing Tommy , her best friend. She saw the man who held her in his arms as she sobbed into his shirt when her father had died. The man who added managing a bar to his responsibilities on top of his police work because Alexis couldn't bear to sell it. The man who crashed on the couch at the loft because she needed help with Alex in the middle of the night. He was always there for her. Tears sprung to her eyes as she whispered, "I know," before her lips were on his.

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A/N: There is still a lot of back story missing I know but this story is really about Alexis and Tommy. Don't worry though there will be plenty of Kate and Alex as well as flashbacks in future chapters. Please leave me a review and let me know what you thought. ~Cate


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Hey guys sorry it took so long for an update! You might have noticed that my pen name has changed! No worries though it's still me writing. I had to change the pen name for a number of reasons. If you are really interested in them PM me but for the rest of you just know that catethewritergirl is the same person that unwrittencate is... or was rather... :) Okay now back to the story.

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Alexis pulled back after a few seconds, a look of mild horror on her face, "Oh my God, Tommy, I'm so sorry I shouldn't have-"

Tommy shook his head and placed his hands on her shoulders, "It's okay Doc, I get it."

"Listen I-"

"No Doc," Tommy said, "My turn this time. I love you okay? I know that you aren't ready for that. I don't know if you ever will be and that's okay." Tommy was looking straight into her eyes but his shoulders were shaking slightly as he released his grip on Alexis' arms. He moved to stand up.

"Tommy wait," Alexis reached out to him, "I do love you. I really do. But,"

"But what?"

"I don't want to lose you." Alexis can feel the tears forming on the edge of her eyelids but she held them back stubbornly refusing to let them fall.

"You're not gonna lose me Doc. I've been in love with you for five years, what on earth would make you think that would change?"

"I'm not someone that can be in relationships! I've got Kate and Alex to take care of and I can't put myself ahead of them, not when they need me so much." Alexis gave up on stopping the tears.

Tommy reached up to brush one of the tiny droplets off her cheek, "Doc, I know. I was there. Kate and Alex are like my family too. I would never make you choose between me and them. You are my family. You all are my family."

Alexis nodded, "Okay. Okay, how about we just start this slow, see how it goes?"

Tommy's eyes brightened considerably, "That sounds good Doc. What would you say to joining me tomorrow night for dinner?"

Alexis started to nod when she remembered Kate's request, "Oh I completely forgot." Tommy's face fell slightly, "I'm supposed to invite YOU over."

"Well then Dr. Castle that can be arranged." Tommy said with a smile on his face. Alexis nudged him playfully as they turned toward the bar to finish their drinks.

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The next morning Alexis walked in to find a morgue full of bodies for her to identify, she took a sip of her coffee and set to work intent on finishing before her dinner with Tommy. She pulled back the first sheet and drew in a startled gasp. Lying on the metal table was her father, pale as ice with cold blue eyes open and staring at her. She threw the sheet back over his head and leaned back against the wall. She collected herself and pulled back the next sheet, Kate's empty eyes stared back at her. She threw back each sheet one by one and was faced with the dead bodies of Alex, Lanie, Ryan, and Esposito. Underneath the final sheet was Tommy, his soft face had yet to show any signs of death but he was unresponsive as Alexis called his name. Every one of their files listed manner of death as homicide and each was still unsolved. Within seconds the bodies disappeared and Alexis was alone. The cold white of the morgue engulfed her and she found herself screaming for her family that she had just seen on her slabs.

The walls seemed to be coming ever closer when a loud beeping filled the room. Alexis sat upright in her bed, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily as she reached for the snooze button on her alarm. It was just a dream she kept repeating mentally to herself. Just a dream, and yet part of it wasn't. Not all of the dream bodies were really alive. Her dad was gone.

**5 YEARS EARLIER**

_The retrieval crew was zipping the black body bag as Kate knelt stone faced on the wet pavement of the sidewalk. Ryan and Esposito stood behind her both at a loss for what to do. They weren't entirely sure what to say to their sister-like friend who had just lost the love of her life._

"_Beckett?" Ryan stepped forward after a few minutes and laid his hand on her shoulder._

"_He's gone." Beckett looked up at him with empty eyes. Ryan was at a loss for words, nothing he could say would bring the writer back. "What am I supposed to do now?" Kate asked quietly, almost to herself._

"_You have Alex, and Martha, and Alexis to think about." Ryan attempted._

_A sudden realization flashed in Beckett's face, "What do I tell them? How do I tell Martha her son isn't coming home? What do I do when Alex wonders why all the other kids have a dad and he doesn't? Castle always knew how to deal with kids, he did such a good job with Alexis and now Alex won't have that. Wait, Alexis, she's at the morgue today! Someone has to call her before she finds out….."_

_Esposito nodded and began dialing on his cell phone. The call went to voicemail, "She didn't pick up boss." _

_Alexis' pager beeped notifying her of a new body at the same time her phone began to vibrate in her bag, she opted to attend to the body she could always call whoever it was back. Perlmutter handed her a clipboard and a prelim notes sheet, "Simple GSW, Dr. Castle can handle this one." The crew member set the black body bag on her table as Tommy walked in the door._

"_Hey Doc, how's it hanging?"_

_Alexis smiled at her friend, "I'm about to start an autopsy. Want to join me?" She asked already knowing he would refuse._

_Tommy's face twisted into a grimace, "No thanks Doc; I'm not into that kind of stuff."_

_Alexis shrugged, "Suit yourself, Detective." She unzipped the bag and let out a scream of panic._

"_What is it Doc?" Tommy rushed to her side glancing at the bag as he passed, recognizing the face as Richard Castle, he pulled Alexis into his arms as she cried for her father._

_They never really changed positions only location, Alexis was hesitant to let go of her friend as she was met with a heartbroken Kate and concerned Esposito and Ryan. She held his hand as Perlmutter, who took over the case, asked her if she was sure that this was indeed her father. Tommy took it upon himself to drive Alexis back to her apartment and then sat on the couch with her until she cried herself to sleep in his arms._

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A/N: We are gonna be in past tense for a little while longer before we get to dinner with Kate and Alex. Please be a friend and leave me a review. ~Cate


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back! I know it's been ages! Do you hate me? I don't blame you. Remember we are still in the past here…. Chapter Four:**

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_Waking up the first thing Alexis noticed was a throbbing pain in her head. The blinding sun streaming through her living room window prompted her to cover her face with her arm as the reality of the previous day's events sunk in. She didn't even want to imagine what she would see if she looked in a mirror, she could practically feel the red rims and bags that circled her eyes. She felt a pang of guilt at this thought, how could she be worried about how she looked when her dad was lying in the morgue?_

"_Hey Doc," Tommy said softly as he approached her from the kitchen, a coffee mug in his hand. Alexis' nodded her thanks as she took a sip of the caffeinated beverage. "How you holding up?"_

_Alexis closed her eyes and started "I-" and then a thought came to her, "I need to call Kate." She was suddenly more alert as she scanned the room for her cell phone, "She's got Alex and she can't possibly be okay after yesterday. I should go over to the loft and check on her." Before Tommy could do anything to stop her Alexis was already up and shuffling around the room looking for her car keys._

"_Wow hold on there Doc, don't you think you should just take it easy. Yesterday was a hard day." Tommy studied her with a worried expression._

"_I just need to get to Kate, Tommy, and Alex. They need me." _

"_Well at least let me drive you over there," Tommy said, when Alexis looked like she was about to respond 'No' Tommy continued, "How do you expect to get there without your car keys?"_

_Surprise flicked across Alexis' face before her features were trained into a hard glare, "Thomas Edwin Kent, you give me back my car keys and let me go see my family."_

_Tommy's borderline teasing look quickly plummeted into a panicked frown as he tossed Alexis the keys, "Doc, come on at least let me come with you, I just want to make sure you are all okay!"_

"_I'll be fine Tommy," Alexis' voice dropped to a near whisper._

"_I know that, Doc," Tommy closed the distance between them and stood in between Alexis and the door, "I really do, but that doesn't mean I don't worry about you. Maybe it's selfish of me, but I know that I would be doing a whole lot better if I could come and know that you and Kate and Alex are all okay."_

"_Yeah okay," Alexis sighed, "You can come."_

_They were silent on the car ride to the loft and the elevator ride up to their floor, as they approached the door to the loft though Tommy couldn't stand it anymore, "Are you sure you are okay to do this Doc?"_

_Alexis merely nodded as she turned her key in the lock and was confronted by the black darkness of the loft. "Kate! Kate!" She called out to a seemingly empty house. She walked through the rooms turning on lights as she went; Tommy was trailing behind her like a shadow. She finally reached her father and Kate's room and took a deep breath before she ventured inside._

_Kate Beckett, strong Kate Beckett, was lying in a heap in the center of the bed. She was wearing what Alexis assumed to be the same clothes as the day before and splatter's of red blood were still staining the white sleeves of her shirt. Her closed eyes were red and puffy and her mascara ran in black trails down her face. Her wavy brown hair was a matted mess and the blankets on the bed were disheveled from what must have been a tormenting night's sleep. In the bassinet next to the bed Alex wailed and reached his tiny arms up into the air begging for someone to feed or hold him. Alexis just stared at the scene not sure what to do with either her step-mother or her younger brother._

_Tommy walked up behind her and put his hand on her shoulder, "I take Alex, just help Kate." Alexis nodded and allowed her friend to scoop up the baby and walk off into the kitchen in search of some baby formula._

"_Kate," Alexis shook the detective lightly on her shoulder, "Wake up, we've got to get you cleaned up."_

"_Lexis?" Kate slurred in her exhaustion, "He's gone."_

"_Yeah Kate I know," Alexis fought to keep her voice from breaking as she slung Kate's arm around her shoulder and headed for the bathroom, "I know."_

_Once in the bathroom she helped Kate remove the bloody clothes and get into the shower, she left Kate there as she scooped the clothes off the floor, trying her best not to think about whose blood it was on them, with promises to lay clean ones outside the shower door. She didn't even bother putting the shirt in the laundry; she threw it straight into the trash bin, fairly certain Kate would never want to wear it again. _

_When she reached the living room she found Tommy in the kitchen brewing a pot of coffee while Alex sat happily in his highchair. "He doesn't know," Alexis said as she looked at the smiling little boy, "He doesn't know how much he's lost, how lucky he was to have my dad for a father. He's never gonna know."_

_Tommy rubbed comforting circles on her back, "It's okay Doc, let it out."_

"_And you know what the worst part is?" Alexis sniffled into his shirt as her voice increased in power, "I'm jealous of him. I'm jealous because he doesn't feel this. He doesn't know so he doesn't feel the pain. He may not know what he's lost but I do. I know, and it's not fair. It isn't. It just isn't fair." She didn't even care that she sounded like a whiny child, it wasn't fair and all she wanted was for her dad to scoop her up into his arms, like he had when she was little, and take the hurt away._

"_No Doc," Tommy said as her tears soaked through his shirt, "It isn't fair. It isn't fair."_

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**What did you think? Is this worth continuing? Review please.**

**Cate**


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